Episode 3 The Sheriffs Are Coming

What do you do if you're ripped off and don't know where to turn?

I did outline all the faults in the vehicle. He rejected all those.

A court of law backs you, but you still don't get your money.

Little did I know how long it would take

to try and recover the money from him.

Sorry....

It's time to call the sheriffs.

We have every right to enter the premises by force if necessary.

We will be entering that building.

Sheriffs are High Court enforcement officers who recover what a court judgement says is owed.

The writ orders us to come and seize goods to the value of this debt.

They're the experts in getting cash that's rightfully yours.

£1,323.

But fighting for the underdog isn't a job for the faint-hearted.

-..once they're flogged.

-I'll back that through your windscreen!

-Debtors aren't pleased to see them.

-'They're harassing me!'

Because they hate paying up.

-Are you happy for me to leave some paperwork?

-No, I'm not! Go away!

In today's programme:

A builder made 86-year-old Hilda Shaw fork out £4,000 for some work on her roof.

He left it in a worse state than when he started.

I was absolutely shattered. I was crying.

I couldn't leave off because I realised the mess I was getting into

and I couldn't say stop!

The sheriffs pay the builder an early-morning visit

to try and get Hilda's money back.

Things get rather heated.

I will back that truck straight through your windscreen!

The sheriffs try to track down a landlord

who didn't pay his student tenants their deposits when they left.

But he proves elusive.

He doesn't want to deal with it on the phone. He's telling me to come to an address he isn't sure of!

And office manager Joan Wales was unfairly dismissed.

She was awarded compensation, but her ex-bosses didn't pay up.

Can the sheriffs help?

They thought I'd walk away and I wouldn't fight for this.

But I do fight and I am fighting because it's wrong.

Hilda Shaw is an 86-year-old pensioner who lives in Northampton.

She needs the help of the sheriffs because maintenance work on her roof

became an expensive ordeal.

The story starts in June 2011

when Hilda spotted a builder working on the guttering of a nearby house.

She asked him how much he was charging for the work.

He said, "1,200".

I thought, "That don't sound too bad."

He said, "We don't take any money or no deposits

"until the work is done." He said, "You'll be ever so pleased with it."

Hilda decided to get her guttering smartened up by the same building business,

run by Alan Fitzgerald.

Once they'd got the ladders up on the front of the bungalow,

you could hear all the banging and the ripping and heaven knows what.

In comes the tall, towering boss of the lot

and he said, "It'll be £2,000."

And that shook me a bit, comparing with what he'd told me

down the road for the other bungalow.

And he said, "We shall need the money for the materials."

You see.

Hilda paid the builder the £2,000.

Then two days later, he called her outside and pointed to the roof.

"Look", he said. "Your tiles are all breaking up and they're coming down.

"Your roof's going to be in a mess", he said.

I said, "Ooh, that's dangerous."

And he said, "It'll want putting right otherwise it's going to come tumbling down."

And he said, "That'll be another 2,000 for doing that."

I thought, "My God, what am I going to do?"

Hilda was worried one of her tiles might fall off the roof and hurt someone.

She rushed off to the bank and withdrew some of her life savings.

I handed over this money and I thought I didn't seem myself.

I thought, "What are you doing, woman?"

One of her neighbours alerted Hilda's son Terry about what was going on.

He phoned his mother from Lincoln, where he was working.

And my son was shouting, "Get that man off the property! Get him off!"

You know, he was yelling there.

He said, "Don't let him get on that roof!" I was shattered. I was crying,

I couldn't leave off. Because I realised the mess I was getting into and I couldn't say stop!

Hilda told the builders to leave and then asked her neighbour Dawn to help.

She got in touch with Trading Standards

and I thought, "Thank the Lord I've got somebody to stand up for me

cos I'm going to start, you know, it's reacting on me terrible.

Because I went through a terrible state.

And Dawn said, "If they show up on the Friday,

"just phone the police."

She was wonderful. I don't know what I would have done without her.

Hilda's son Terry travelled from Lincoln to see what the builders had done.

He was shocked by what he saw.

Well, it's ridiculous.

If Mum paid over the top for a job,

and it was correct, OK, you've paid over the top.

But when the job's not correct, it's... What can you say?

They told my mother the felt had gone, it had rotted away.

I knew it hadn't rotted cos I've got bits and pieces in the roof.

It's not damp. No problem at all with it.

There was the guttering. It had been folded over.

It hadn't been fitted right.

My son poured water into the gutter.

It was running in the opposite direction. It ran the opposite way.

You can't get guttering wrong and say, "I'll put the guttering right.

You shouldn't get it wrong in the first place.

He said, "My God, they call themselves builders? It's shocking!"

My mother is very vulnerable at that age. She's normally very alert,

very clued up and I feel very sad for her.

But in the situation what happened, I'm worried all the time now.

Hilda got a County Court judgement and a High Court writ for the money.

But the builder still didn't pay her a penny.

With nowhere else to turn, she called the High Court enforcement officers.

She hopes they can get her money back.

It'll be clearing something in my mind and in my brain

to think somebody around is there to help us, you know.

Because there's a lot of elderly that never know where to go,

and have no-one to stick up for them.

You know. Oh, God.

It's 7.00am and sheriffs Mark Newton and Kev McNally

are on their way to where the builder lives.

If he's home, he'll be faced with a bill for Hilda's money,

court costs and interest.

He owes £6,600.

It's coming up to seven o'clock, so hopefully he's around.

We'll give him a knock and see if we can get him out of bed

and get him to pay some money or seize some of his goods.

We'll see how we get on.

Mark and Kev have arrived at the builder's house.

They've made an early start to increase the chance of him being in.

DOGS BARK

Sheriffs can legally climb through open windows,

but Mark opts for a different approach.

Hello?

BARKING

They're going to hear the dogs, aren't they?

INDISTINCT RESPONSE

-Pardon?

-Garage door.

-Garage door. Right.

-Hello.

-Hello. Mr Fitzgerald?

-Yes.

A High Court writ has been issued against you

by a Mrs Hilda Shaw.

-Hilda Shaw?

-Yeah.

-Regarding what? Do you want to come in for a minute?

-Yeah.

INDISTINCT

-They might bark.

-That's all right.

High Court enforcement officers usually don't know the background story to the writ

so they can't answer the builder's first question -

which particular job is this customer complaining about?

It's regarding Hilda Shaw.

-I don't know what...

-Is it the conservatory?

-I just get given...

-I did a quote for her son yesterday.

-The job's finished.

-Yeah.

She took you to the county court with regards to it back in October.

No payment's been made and they sent us out here today.

-October?

-Yes.

-We've only just finished the job two days ago.

-Have you got the address?

-No.

-How much is it for?

-£6,636.

-£6,000?!

-Mm.

-Yeah.

-Are you sure it's me?

-Yeah.

Alan Fitzgerald, A to Z Builders.

At this point, our cameraman was asked to leave the property.

Mark tells Alan Fitzgerald that, if necessary,

he'll remove his equipment and auction it to pay Hilda's debt.

The negotiations continue for over an hour.

After a tough discussion, Mark and Kev leave the house.

Cheers. Bye-bye.

He paid us £800 today.

Said he's going to go to the court today to get it sorted.

He said it's nothing to do with him. He thinks it's some lads he had working for him.

We'll go from there and see what happens.

Mark and Kev head back to base.

It looks like they're leaving just in time.

Some of the builder's labourers have arrived.

They clearly take a dim view of today's early-morning visit to their boss.

-Pardon?

-If you take his equipment, I'll back that truck through your windscreen!

-No worries. All right.

-Just go away!

We're going now. John, let's go.

Nice people(!)

Mark and Kev might not have got any money for Hilda

if the labourers had arrived during the negotiations.

It was a blessing in disguise that they turned up after he's paid us.

It could have taken a different turn if they'd been there half an hour earlier.

He's the kind of guy that... Obviously you treat everyone with respect,

but you don't want to go in and rub him up the wrong way. It's dealt with now.

Hopefully he'll go to the court and get it sorted

and if he has to pay, he'll pay.

So Hilda will get the first instalment of the money she's due.

If the court rules against the builder's appeal and he doesn't pay the rest,

the sheriffs will be back.

We asked Alan Fitzgerald to comment.

He disputes the allegations. We will return to this story later in the series.

This High Court enforcement office is based near London.

If it's a commercial property, we can force entry to levy if necessary.

Over 70,000 High Court writs a year are executed by Britain's enforcement officers

who've been known as sheriffs since Saxon times.

The amount outstanding is £5,521 and 61 pence. How would you like to pay?

People are increasingly turning to High Court enforcement officers

because they have a better success rate than County Court bailiffs.

You don't get seven days. You don't get time. It's a live writ.

A High Court writ costs £60.

If the sheriffs are successful, there's nothing more to pay.

If not, there's an admin fee, also £60.

Sheriff Mark's next job is in Essex.

He and colleague Simon Castle are visiting a landlord, Syed Raza,

who didn't give his tenants their deposits back when they moved out.

It looks like it's going to be a residential address.

The time is two o'clock. Hopefully we'll get someone in,

but if we don't, we'll try and seize some goods there today.

Pop the paperwork through the door and hopefully get a call.

But we won't know until we get there for sure.

Three students went to the County Court after their deposits weren't returned.

They got judgement in their favour,

but the money still wasn't paid.

So the claim was transferred up to the High Court.

Now the sheriffs are enforcing a writ for the owed money

plus interest and costs.

The amount owed on this is £11,100.

So it's not a tiny little debt, it's a reasonable amount.

Whether they're going to have that, if they're in,

we'll have to wait and see on that.

We don't know what the house is like at the moment, what kind of area we're going into.

But we will find out soon.

The sheriffs arrive at what looks like an expensive house.

And the cars on the drive aren't cheap, either.

KNOCKING ON DOOR

There's someone there.

-How can I help you?

-Hi. I'm after Syed Raza.

-Syed Raza's not here.

-No? You're not him, then?

-I'm not him.

-No? Got any way of getting hold of him at all?

-What's this about?

-It's from the High Court.

-Yes, I can see that.

-About some outstanding money that's owed to Emma Shanks.

-Sorry, who?

-Emma Shanks, Fran Muirhead and Megan Nilsson.

-Oh. Is this about the flat?

-Could be. I don't know.

-I just get some details.

-I know which one you're talking about. He's not here.

-Right.

Any way of getting hold of him? We're here to seize goods today.

-Seize goods today? He doesn't live here any more.

-Right.

-Where does he live now?

-He's moved out.

The personalised number plate on the car is a clue that perhaps Syed Raza still lives here.

But it isn't proof.

There may be more than one Syed in the family.

-I can give you his number and you can talk to him yourself.

-No problem.

OK. I need to see some proof that he's not at this address.

-Something like a council tax bill.

-I'll bring you it.

Mark's tempted to clamp and remove the car with the Syed plate to pay off the debt.

But he needs to be sure the car is owned by the landlord Syed Raza and not somebody else also called Syed.

-I'd like to clamp that car.

-It's got the name on it.

We can't go by what's on the number plate,

but you don't drive a car that's SYED, if your name's not Syed.

-Is there two brothers with different middle names?

-Not both called Syed?

They could be. Could be a dad and a son, couldn't it?

Mark asks the office to do background checks to see if there's more than one Syed in the family.

Could we see who's living at the address on the electoral register?

I have a utility bill. But it's quite an old one.

There's a bank statement which is fairly new.

While Simon checks the paperwork to clarify who lives in the house,

Mark finds out how many Syeds there are in the family.

..or there's two.

No problem. Right, thank you. Bye.

Sorry. Yeah, there is two Syed Razas.

Taking the car is too risky. There's a 50/50 chance it doesn't belong to the Syed they're after.

Mark gets the phone number of the landlord Syed from his younger brother.

OK. Thank you.

Let's give him a try.

Hello. Is that Syed Raza?

It's Mark Luton from the Sheriff's office.

Yeah? I just spoke to your brother, I believe he's your brother,

and he's given me your number.

It's about a High Court writ that's been issued against you.

Basically, we're looking at collecting payment today.

You work in the City? What's your address in the City?

OK. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Doesn't want to deal with it over the phone.

Told me to come to an address that he's not that sure of!

He's making it up as he goes along! Gravesend Road in WC1.

Gravesend Road doesn't sound like it's in WC1, but it could be.

Simon does some checks on the address. And it's bad news.

It doesn't exist. Nothing comes up on it.

Mark was dubious about the address as soon as he heard it.

"It's Gravesend Road. It's at 200-", and then he went, "-37".

THEY LAUGH

He's like, "Let's just make it up as I go along!"

Mark posts the writ and works out an action plan.

We'll check the cars and see who they come back as registered to.

We'll get some details back to our office and look into it a bit more.

If any of the cars are registered to Syed the landlord,

the Sheriffs will be back. But for now, they must bide their time.

Disappointing result, but that's the nature of our game.

We have to pursue people. When we're out like we are today doing first viewings,

you don't always get the result.

But you come back armed with more information and get the result second time round.

If Mark does return,

he'll bring his wheel-clamp with him.

This case isn't over yet.

Joan Wales worked for a company that specialises in hardwood floors for over 12 years.

Joan had a senior role within the business,

Classical Flooring in Suffolk.

I was in charge of the showroom.

If the bosses went on holiday, I was in charge of the company.

I thought it was a good job.

Despite being senior, Joan didn't mind helping out the sales staff when things got hectic,

advising customers which floors to buy.

When it was really busy and there was lots going on,

I thrived on it. Loved it. Yeah. So I really liked it.

Joan thought she got on well with the company owners.

I don't think you can work with somebody for 12 years and not have a bond.

I thought they were my friends.

I did. I thought they were my friends.

We'd had our ups and downs, as friends do.

But I never thought for a minute that they'd do what they did.

Never. Never.

Things started to go wrong when Joan's bosses told her they wanted to reduce her hours by 50%.

I didn't want to drop my hours because I couldn't afford to.

I would have definitely lost my home as I wouldn't have been able to afford to pay my bills.

Having been at the company for well over a decade,

Joan felt she deserved better treatment.

I was working with another lady as well.

They didn't want to change her hours, they just wanted to change mine.

As I'd been there 12 years and she hadn't,

I didn't think it was right.

You know, I actually thought,

if it was a bit of everybody partaking in it, that would be fine,

but I didn't want it to be just me.

Joan contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau, who suggested she write a letter to her bosses

explaining why her hours shouldn't be reduced.

The letter didn't go down well.

They called me up to the office. They said they couldn't afford to keep me any longer.

They were going to pay me to the end of the week and didn't expect me to attend.

I was free to go. And that would be it.

And I said, "Well...

"That's not right."

I said, "You can't do that. It's illegal!"

Joan was in a state of shock.

But she still turned up for work the next day.

There was a letter on my desk,

saying basically that after 12 years of service with them,

due to the financial situation of the company,

that they couldn't afford to keep me any longer. And it was goodbye.

Joan couldn't believe what she was hearing from people she'd regarded as friends as well as colleagues.

It's very hard.

Um, I didn't think they'd do it to me.

Joan took the company owners to an employment tribunal.

I decided that I would fight.

We took it to court.

It was very stressful,

all of it, because you're having to fight for something you shouldn't have to fight for.

But Joan won her fight.

The tribunal verdict was unfair dismissal

and she was awarded nearly £13,500.

But her ex bosses didn't pay up.

Classical Flooring were supposed to give me my money by a certain time, which obviously they haven't.

I don't think they'd willingly give me anything, anything at all,

because to them, you know...

I think they just thought I'd walk away and I wouldn't fight for this.

But I do fight and I am fighting

because it's... It's wrong.

But there was only so much fighting Joan could do on her own.

So she enlisted the help of the High Court enforcement office.

They dispatched two sheriffs to enforce the writ.

Kev McNally and Lawrence Gricks are going to see Joan's former bosses

and hopefully get her £13,500 plus interest and their costs.

The bit we're looking for is just over 15,500. At the moment.

So we're now in business hours. It's half past ten

so the company should be open and trading.

Hopefully, we'll just be able to walk in cos it'll be open.

Hopefully the gentleman will be there and we'll be able to sort it out.

But if necessary, Lawrence could force entry to remove goods to settle the debt

because it's a commercial premises.

-Classical Flooring and Joinery.

-Is that them?

-Yeah.

Usually, the threat of removing goods is sufficient to get a debtor company to pay up.

Hello?

Upstairs, maybe?

The sheriffs don't give advanced warning of a visit.

It reduces the likelihood of goods belonging to the debtors disappearing

before they arrive.

And it normally increases the chances of finding the owners, but not always.

They've gone.

Oh, there he is.

Hello. I'm looking for a Mr Barnard or a Mr Lydford.

High Court enforcement officer.

Hello, sir.

One of Joan's ex-bosses, Mr Barnard, is present.

He's willing to talk to Lawrence, but our cameraman is asked to leave the building.

Lawrence's negotiations on behalf of Joan continue for over an hour.

The Classical Flooring boss says that all the assets have been transferred to another company

and he has paperwork to prove it.

Lawrence leaves empty-handed, but the story is far from over.

I'm happy with the paperwork that I've seen

that none of the major assets, none of the equipment, the tools,

or anything like that belong to the two gentlemen personally.

So there's nothing really at that premises that we can actually remove.

I have seized all the raw materials and hardwood flooring

and they're going to provide proof, which they'll be able to,

that the limited company own that as well.

But I warned the gentlemen that we can go to their home addresses as it's against them personally.

So all their personal assets are likely to be seized and removed if necessary to cover the debt.

Sometimes it can take several visits for the sheriffs to get the money their client is owed.

But persistence often pays.

We've hardly given up yet just because we can't get any assets from the company.

I think we'll end up going to their home addresses.

I made note of one vehicle that turned up, a 60-registered van

which will have significant value. So if it's registered to one of them personally,

and it's clear on finance, we'll be round to whoever's residence it is and we'll have the van away.

We'll sell it at auction before they know what's happening.

The sheriffs may soon be visiting Joan's former bosses at home.

But for the time being, she'll have to wait for her money.

High Court enforcement officer Pete Spencer

is on his way to enforce a writ for a company debt.

A small company won a County Court judgment against a business which it felt owed it money.

Promotional and novelty mug designers, Monstermugs Ltd.

The total Pete wants from the Monstermugs director today is £2,275.

But he may be prepared to accept a down payment as it's his first visit.

Good morning. The reason for our visit, as I explained I'm an enforcement officer.

-I have a High Court writ and I'm enforcing it today.

-A what?

-A High Court writ. I'm enforcing it.

-What's that?

-A High Court writ. The claimant has moved it from County Court up to High Court

-for enforcement purposes.

-What does that mean?

-We're here to enforce the outstanding debt.

-So it's either to collect 2,775.56.

-Is a cheque all right?

-No. It's got to be cleared funds.

-Credit card, debit card or cash.

-I have to be paid. It has to be a cheque.

-Bank transfer?

-I can't do it.

-We can take an initial payment today not for the full amount

-and then you can email in...

-How much would that be?

-What could you pay today? I'd have to ask our office.

-Very little.

Unlike a commercial premises,

Pete can't force his way into a company director's home to seize goods on a first visit.

He will have to accept a lower figure today

and then come back for the rest if he needs to.

-If I said a couple of hundred today?

-If that's the only payment you can pay me today,

we can take the £200, then you must email into our office

with an arrangement to pay monthly the outstanding debt.

-Right.

-The claimant can decline that monthly offer, and can demand it in full.

-Then what happens?

-We'd re-attend to remove goods.

-You'd come back and see us again?

-We'd come back.

-So you're happy with 200 today?

-If that's all you can manage.

-I'll be right back.

-Fine.

The sheriff's first visit often works as a warning shot.

Debtors tend to pay the rest of what they owe before a second visit to remove goods becomes necessary.

What's your pin, if you can press the OK button.

If I can just ask you to sign the receipt.

OK. Cheers. Thank you. Thanks.

Before he leaves, Pete lists property he could remove

to clear the debt if he does have to come back.

We've levied the vehicle on the driveway which he may not be aware of.

But it's on the paperwork we've given him that we've levied all the items within the vehicle.

Pete and his colleagues have one of the highest debt collection rates in the industry.

They don't give up easily.

The director of Monstermugs is disputing the County Court judgement against him and his company:

He says for that reason:

It's 7.00am and High Court enforcement officers Mark and Kev

are on their way back to Essex.

They're revisiting the landlord who didn't give his tenants their deposits back when they left.

The house was on this road and the car was here as well.

Right at the end of this road.

It was a good move by Mark to take down the number plates

of the cars in the drive on his first visit.

It's led to a crucial breakthrough in the mission to get the tenants their money.

One of the vehicles has come back as registered to the man we're after.

It's the vehicle in front of us.

So we'll throw a clamp on this and then go and knock the door.

We're just going to get told he's not here, he doesn't live here and they'll expect us to go away.

But this time we'll clamp the car and see if we can get a payment out of him.

The debt comes to £11,799.

That's the unpaid deposits plus court costs and interest.

Mark needs to clamp the car quickly

before the owner sees what's going on and tries to stop him.

It's going to be tight.

Just see if he don't get in and try and drive out.

He'll just drive home.

If the owner comes out now, he could drive the car away and Mark and Kev couldn't stop him.

Bloody big wheels.

Mark has secured the clamp. The car is totally immobilised.

I can get off my arse, now!

It was like the biggest wheel in history!

Time to see if the car's owner, landlord Syed Raza, is at home.

Hiya, mate.

-I'm after Syed Hassan Raza.

-He's not here.

-Regarding to?

-Some money that's outstanding to Emma Shanks, Fran Muirhead and Megan Nilsson.

First of all, he doesn't live here any more.

-Did I speak to you before?

-No, you haven't spoken to me.

Got any way of getting hold of him at all?

-Is he a relation?

-No. I can get you...

-OK. Just one moment.

-Yeah, no problem.

If the door had been left open,

the sheriffs could have walked straight in

and removed other property belonging to Syed Raza.

The three students owed their deposit money are from New Zealand.

One has already gone home. But she still wants her money back.

I can give you his number, mobile number.

-Do you want to give him a call?

-No, he's not around. He's gone abroad.

-Has he?

You've got no way of getting hold of him at all?

He'll probably be back at the end of the month.

Right.

-Did YOU put that clamp on?

-Yeah.

-Why?

-Because I'm going to take it away unless we can get some money.

-But that doesn't belong to him, does it?

-Yeah.

-It doesn't belong to him.

-Who does it belong to, then?

That belongs to my brother. Under his name.

-Yes. His name is?

-Tiaz Raza.

It's registered to Syed Hassan Raza.

How much is there outstanding?

£11,799.

-MAN:

-Can I help?

They put a clamp on that car. They said there's 11,000 outstanding.

You can't put a clamp on my car. It's a company car.

-I'm using that car.

-Have you got the log book for that?

One second. I have a record of this.

He doesn't live here any more. If it's something to do with him, it shouldn't get pulled off him.

I spoke to him before and he gave me an address that wasn't an address.

-He gave you an address that wasn't an address?

-It was just a made-up address.

The landlord's brother phones him to tell him his car has been clamped.

Amazing. He couldn't get hold of him a minute ago. Now he's getting hold of him!

How much is the amount? 11,000 something?

£11,799.

11,799.

The sheriffs could try the door handle.

And if it isn't locked, walk straight into the house to see if any other goods could be seized.

-We'll go in in a minute?

-Eh?

-We'll go in in a minute.

I've got a feeling this is the parents' address.

But, yeah...

We can handle it.

But the very visible clamp on the car might be enough incentive

for the family to pay up, whether the landlord's here or not.

-It's hanging on there!

-It's suspended to the tyre.

It ain't going nowhere!

Natural disaster.

I've just spoken to him. He's coming back on the 19th.

Until the 19th. We can't do anything.

Well, we're taking the car, then.

Not leaving us any option here.

Is there any minimum payment we can do?

No. It needs to be the full amount.

We can't clear 11,000 between us. We don't have that much.

It doesn't have to be off one card. We can take it off a few cards.

However you want to spread that out.

The landlord's brother invites the sheriffs in.

Mark checks to see if there are any items relating to the business that could be removed.

There'll be another room with everything in.

And now...

Somebody will come out of their bedroom in a minute, going, "What the BLEEP!"

At this point, our cameraman was asked to leave the house.

The family offers to pay £5,000, but that is less than half of what is owed.

Because this is a second visit, Mark decides to up the ante.

He asks the office to find out the value of the clamped car.

If you could just find out what it is worth.

I'm getting an offer of 5,000.

But we've got a bit more than that outstanding.

So if the vehicle's worth like ten or 11, we might as well go with the vehicle.

If it's worth four, we'll go with paying the five grand.

But Mark might not have any choice.

It looks like the family's decided not to hand over any cash today.

It's not a good sign. They're emptying out the car.

When Mark goes back into the house, the landlord's brother tells him to take the car.

But the sheriffs prefer hard cash, so they try a different tactic.

If you can come back to us with something, try and get a bit more,

cos we've got an idea of what could happen

-if you give it all maybe.

-Yeah.

It's not in your brother's interests for us to take the car.

His costs are going to go up by - I don't know what the figures will be.

It's going to be another 400 to 500 on the bill.

Which he'll still be liable for.

The truck's coming back at just under £9,000.

The new approach does the trick.

The family doesn't want to lose the £9,000 car.

Mark comes out to get the chip and pin machine.

We're trying to get a little bit more from them.

I feel they can pay more.

They offered five. We got one brother to say six.

They asked if we had a card machine and we can't get the gist of the conversation,

but they want to pay maybe all of it. We'll see where we go.

It could be £5,000 to 11,800 in one fell swoop.

That would be quite a result.

He's paid the lot.

That's the full amount, yeah?

The landlord's brother pays the total amount by debit card,

which adds £5 to the total,

making it a round £11,804.

I just want you to sign this saying you paid £11,804 on debit card. The balance is nil.

Just sign and print there for us.

The three students from New Zealand will get their deposits back in full.

Lovely. Cheers, mate. Thanks very much.

Mark and his colleague successfully retrieve over £2 million a month.

They can now add £11,800 to that total.

All they need to do is unclamp the car and they can be on their way.

I wasn't expecting to get the full payment,

but they knew if they made half the payment, we'd still have the vehicle

and we can come back and remove it.

The older brother made the decision in the end.

-Full payment was a good result.

-It's what we wanted.

-Happy with that.

Mark and Kev return to base

and soon the three students from New Zealand

will be getting some good news.

It's now a month since Lawrence and Kev went to Classical Flooring Ltd

and former office manager Joan Wales still hasn't been paid what she's owed.

The sheriffs have now run background checks

and traced the owners' home addresses.

Soon, they will go to their houses to seize goods and vehicles

to pay off the debt.

The students who didn't get their deposits back from landlord Syed Raza have their cash.

They realise that without the help of the sheriffs,

they wouldn't have got a penny.

And on Christmas Eve, Hilda Shaw received a cheque for £400 from the builder

who charged over £4,000 for the work on her roof.

He's offered to make payments of £200 per week to pay off the rest of the debt.

I could never have done it on my own. No doubt about that.

It made me feel there was hope where I'd felt so down.

As if I wasn't going to see any of my money any more.

Hilda thinks she made the right decision, enlisting the help of the enforcement officers.

I really am pleased with what can be done to folks like him.

But if the builder doesn't keep up the payments, the sheriffs will be back.

David Hart bought a beach buggy to enjoy with his son.

But he found out it was stolen.

There's my dream, on the back of a low-loader, going up the road.

When the sheriffs go to get David's money back from the man who sold it to him,

things turn nasty.

You're entitled to your opinion. I'm here doing a job.

-I'll take your head off your shoulders.

-It's my job.

The sheriffs brave a torrential rainstorm as they visit a pub on behalf of a former employee

who'd been unfairly dismissed.

-We're looking to collect some money.

-You're not having this jumper!

And a customer wants his money back from an art gallery

who didn't give him the print he paid for.

But before the sheriffs can get his cash, they need to get in.

He's in!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd